


you and me together, baby, it's paradise

by tmylm



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Secret Relationship, bechloe - Freeform, flower shop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm
Summary: Beca and Chloe are in a semi-new relationship, but they don't want anybody else to know yet, not until Beca has really found her footing. She wants to make the grand gestures Chloe deserves, but it's difficult to do that while staying under the radar.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 22
Kudos: 141





	you and me together, baby, it's paradise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [isacabral](https://archiveofourown.org/users/isacabral/gifts).



> Title from Hollyn's _All My Love_.

It is something of an understatement for Beca to say that she is totally out of her element here. And not just _here_ , in the middle of a somewhat secluded flower shop—the kind of establishment she has never before set foot in in her life—but also this whole _dating_ thing. Beca has never had a serious relationship before, never really cared to perform sweet, thoughtful gestures for another person. Not until Chloe, anyway.

So this is all new to her, it is all _incredibly_ new to her. Fortunately, she can take comfort in the fact that there is nobody there to judge her as she stumbles through navigating all of this uncharted territory, because they are both in agreement that this is going to stay between the two of them, at least for now, just until they (see: Beca) really find their footing.

She realizes, however, as she stares with confused, widened eyes at the colorful array of freshly displayed arrangements, that she could _really_ use a little backup. Presenting a person with flowers seems somewhat outdated a custom, but despite the fact that it is certainly not her thing, she knows that it is Chloe’s, so no matter how out of her depth she may be feeling, no matter how cheesy this all seems, Beca really wants to get this right.

Beca has two perfectly functioning eyes, she can see which petals look prettier than the others, but flowers have their own hidden meanings behind them, right? And if anybody is going to know those meanings, it is going to be Chloe. So Beca cannot just go for _pretty_ here… She just wishes she knew exactly what she was looking for, or at the very least, had a _little_ help.

“Beca?”

The mere sound of her name has never before caused her to pause quite so quickly, and as Beca whirls around to be greeted by furrowed brows and curious gazes, she realizes that there is evidently some truth behind that whole ‘be careful what you wish for’ saying.

“What are you doing in a flower shop?” Aubrey asks with something of a scrutinizing stare, one that seems to narrow in on Beca like a particularly cold beam of ice.

“I, uh…” Beca begins, though she finds herself coming up short for an excuse.

“Never had you pinned for a flower girl,” Stacie says in a semi-amused tone.

“Oh, yeah, no, I’m not,” Beca fumbles slightly, hand instinctively rising to rub awkwardly at the back of her neck. How it is not beaded with sweat yet is something of a miracle to her.

“So you’re buying them _for_ someone?” Stacie questions, this time with something of a teasing edge to her tone. Her brows rise and fall suggestively, elbow nudging gently against Beca’s as she leans in a little closer. “Hot date tonight?”

“No,” Beca responds a little too quickly. The suspicious expression creasing its way onto Aubrey’s features has her immediately racking her brain for something more fleshed out. “I’m just, uh… It’s my step-mom’s birthday, my dad wanted me to pick something out for her.”

Fortunately, despite the fact that they are all members of the same a capella group, neither Aubrey nor Stacie knows enough about Beca’s homelife to realize what a crock of shit that is—Beca would eat her hand before helping to pick out gifts for Sheila. It seems to be a good enough excuse, though, if the nodding heads (and slight hint of disappointment on Stacie’s face) are anything to go by.

“I see,” Aubrey says, and something about her tone tells Beca that she is perhaps a little less convinced than the woman beside her, but she could also totally be reading into this wrongly. Nobody has any reason to know that there is anything going on between Beca and Chloe; they really have been extremely careful so far.

“Well, do you know what you’re looking for?” Stacie questions, stepping casually around Beca to move closer to the flowers. She sticks out a hand to run slender fingers daintily over a pale pink petal. “These are cute.”

Beca’s panicked gaze moves toward the arrangement. It is one she has looked at already, but something about it doesn’t feel quite right. “Yeah, no, I have no idea. I don’t know flower meanings or whatever. But I know they have them.”

“Yeah, me either,” Stacie hums, mouth twisting some in thought. Evidently, neither she nor Aubrey are the heaven sent angels Beca had subconsciously been hoping for in wishing for a little help. “Oh, you know who would be an awesome person to have around right now?” she questions, arm slipping behind her back to reach into the pocket of her tight-fitting jeans. “Chloe.”

It is pathetic really, the fact that even hearing Chloe’s name causes something of a yearning ache in Beca’s chest. She hopes that it is not evident in her expression, and makes a conscious effort to school it into something more neutral.

It seems, however, that in her desperate attempt at keeping her feelings reined in, Beca somehow misses the sight of Stacie whipping her phone into view, and has already pulled up the FaceTime application before Beca even gets the chance to stop her. “Here, I’ll call her.”

“No, you don’t have to—” Beca begins quickly, though the sound of the call connecting cuts her off, and Beca finds herself biting back a defeated sigh.

“Hey! What’s up?” she hears the melodic sound of Chloe’s chipper voice ringing through the speaker.

“Hey, I’m with Beca,” Stacie grins into the camera, before twisting it around to force Beca into view. All Beca does is awkwardly glance toward the screen; she doesn’t have the time to check how visible her inevitable blush is before Stacie momentarily turns the phone to herself again. “She needs help picking out flowers for her mom or something. Here.”

The device is thrust into her hand before Beca can do anything about it. Not that it matters; the surprise has already been ruined now, anyway.

“Uh, yeah,” Beca begins with an awkward clear of her throat and a scuff of her boot against the shiny floor. It is incredible, she notes, just how radiant Chloe manages to look simply seated on her bed with her hair scraped messily back, body drowning in a comfortable sweater. Instinctively, Beca reaches up with her free hand to straighten out a fallen curl; she can’t help but want her girlfriend to think she looks _good_ , right? “Hey, Chlo.”

“Hi!” Chloe beams, though it is clear that her enthusiasm is for the sake of the people surrounding them. In actuality, she wears a lazy, relaxed expression, her smile that familiar, comfortable one that Beca gets to see all the time. “You’re buying your mom flowers? That’s really sweet, Bec.”

“Yeah. Well, no, my step-mom,” Beca corrects, gaze darting quickly toward Aubrey and Stacie, both of whom are seemingly preoccupied by looking at the arrangements now themselves. Still, they are in her general area, so Beca has to keep up the act—even if it is clear that Chloe can see right through it. (She knows all about Beca’s feelings toward her step-mother, after all.) “They’re not from me, they’re for my dad to give to her.”

“Got it,” Chloe nods, and Beca does all she can to keep her teeth from sinking into her bottom lip in response to the subtly smug smirk stretching onto Chloe’s lips. God, she is so fucking cute… But now is not the time to think so, of course. “Well, roses are always romantic. Carnations are really great, too.”

“Right,” Beca nods along slowly, as if she has any idea about what the hell a carnation looks like.

“Red carnations say ‘I love you’,” Chloe continues, and Beca feels her heart jump into her throat at the very implication. It is evident that Chloe can read her feelings by the quiet chuckle she lets out in response. “But honestly, I think any flower can be super romantic, as long as they make you think of the person you’re giving them to, you know?”

Again, Beca’s gaze quickly shifts toward Aubrey and Stacie, before moving naturally back to the screen. That is nothing out of the ordinary, of course; Chloe always has a way of pulling Beca’s focus. “Uh, what do you mean?”

Chloe hums thoughtfully to herself as she relaxes back against the wall, shoulder shrugging gently. “Just pick something that you think reminds you of her… Or I guess that would remind your dad of her,” she pauses briefly, and Beca notes an unmistakable twinkle to her favorite shade of blue. “I’m sure she’ll love them.”

“Alright,” Beca nods, sucking in a slow breath. “Something that reminds me of her. Got it.”

“Do you need any more help?” Chloe questions softly, breezily.

“No,” Beca’s head shakes this time. “No, I think I’ve got it.”

“Awes,” Chloe winks, and Beca is positive she is about to awkwardly melt into a puddle of adoration on the spot. Chloe’s volume lowers slightly as she continues, evidently to address Beca and Beca alone. “So, I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” Beca agrees in a quieter tone herself, the corners of her mouth automatically tugging upward just a little bit. “See you later, Chlo.”

Stacie hops over as the call cuts out, hand outstretching to take back her phone. “All good? You know what you’re looking for?”

“Yeah,” Beca nods, easily handing it over. Her gaze flickers toward the neatly arranged bouquets again, a bright shade of yellow, radiant like the sun, immediately catching her eye. “I think I’ve got it.”

* * *

Up until now, Beca thinks they have done a pretty damn good job at keeping this thing between them to themselves. Despite many date nights spent in the Bellas house—why an a cappella group has what can only be described as a sorority house, Beca doesn’t know, but that is a whole other conversation—they really have managed to skate almost a little too easily under the radar.

However, as Beca stares at the small bouquet of sunflowers sitting in a complimentary vase beside her bed, she cannot help but think back to that suspicious expression on Aubrey’s face. Beca is positive she knows there is something going on, so the idea of walking into the Bellas house with a flower arrangement seems like it would serve only as confirmation, and that is absolutely not something that Beca wants.

Beca doesn’t like date nights in her dorm room. In fact, Beca doesn’t like _being_ in her dorm room at all, not if she can help it. Her roommate has hated her since the first day she laid eyes on her, and it seems that her friends have followed suit. Fortunately, this evening, it seems that Kimmy Jin has made plans elsewhere, so although it isn’t quite the privacy of Chloe’s more spacious bedroom, she can deal with the idea of hanging out with Chloe here, at least for a couple hours. Especially if it means ensuring Aubrey stays as in the dark as possible.

Maybe it is kind of lame, the fact that Beca has memorized the sound of Chloe’s knock by now. She pushes herself up from her spot on the single mattress at the very first thrum of gentle tapping against the hardwood, lazy smile tugging naturally onto her lips at the sight of Chloe appearing from behind the door.

“Hey,” Beca greets, hand lifting to tuck a chunk of brunette hair behind her ear. “Anybody see you?”

Chloe’s quiet chuckle is, as always, like music to Beca’s ears. “It’s not a stealth mission, Bec,” she says, gently closing the door behind her.

Beca barely even remembers how it felt to greet Chloe before they started dating. Now, she is used to _this_ , to the way Chloe moves toward her with her fingers outstretched to grasp softly at the chest of Beca’s shirt. Beca easily allows her to pull her closer, until she is melting into the feeling of her body pressing up against Chloe’s, familiar lips capturing her own in a delicate, long overdue kiss.

“Relax, okay?” Chloe hums quietly as she eventually pulls back, gentle gaze sweeping over Beca’s twisted features. There is something so comforting about it, about just _being_ with Chloe, Beca’s shoulders instantly fall, immediately losing some of their pent up tension. “It’s still just you and me.”

“Yeah, I know,” Beca puffs out a small sigh, head nodding slowly. “I just… After that whole thing earlier…”

“Oh, you mean when you were picking out flowers for Sheila?” Chloe says with a subtle smirk. She is still standing directly in front of Beca, but her eyes drift over her shoulder and toward the bed, with the vase settled safely beside it. “Those ones?”

Beca cannot help but fondly roll her eyes, cheeks heating up to blush a soft shade of red. “I really wanted it to be a surprise,” she whines quietly, though steps out of Chloe’s loose grasp, straightening out the fabric of her shirt in the process.

She knows that it is too much to ask for Chloe to wait for her to physically hand them to her; Chloe is a curious person by nature, and drifts automatically toward the bright bouquet, almost like an inquisitive moth to a particularly inviting flame. Although she knows she has no reason to be nervous, Beca cannot help but momentarily hold her breath as she watches Chloe reach out to run the tip of her finger over one of the brightly colored petals.

“These make you think of me?” she asks in a softer voice, and despite the fact that Chloe is not looking at her, Beca can see the small smile tugging at her lips, see the way her formerly pale cheeks paint themselves a soft shade of pink.

“Uh, yeah,” Beca nods, voice somewhat smaller as she awkwardly watches on. Beca still does not know flower meanings, she didn’t even think to do a quick Google search after bringing them home, but a part of her is kicking herself for not doing so now.

“Why?” Chloe questions, gaze finally tearing from the arrangement of sunflowers, and instead drifting toward Beca.

Immediately, Beca’s teeth sink into her bottom lip. She has never been the best at verbalizing her thoughts, especially the deeper ones, but Chloe is looking at her expectantly, and Beca wants to give her what she wants. It is not just for Chloe either; Beca _wants_ to be able to tell her how she feels. It really is the least she can do.

“They’re sunflowers,” Beca says simply to begin with. She swallows, attempting to gather her thoughts, to word them in a way that doesn’t make her sound like a total loser. “If I used anything to describe you, Chlo, it’d be the sun.” She can feel the way her cheeks continue to darken, the way heat reaches the tips of her ears. “You just have this… I don’t know, this energy, I guess. Even when I’m having a really shitty day, everything’s just...it’s brighter when you’re around. And that’s not exclusive to me. It’s everyone, you know?” Where the words are suddenly pouring out from, Beca really doesn’t know. But she has started now, and evidently, she just can’t stop, no matter how awkward she knows she sounds. “You’re this whole light for everybody, and I know I sound like such a—”

Beca doesn’t get the chance to finish her thought, not before Chloe has taken a few steps closer, and Beca feels the soft embrace of protective arms wrapping coddlingly around her middle. Before she knows it, Chloe is lifting her up from the ground, and Beca’s arms instantly wrap around her neck, tightening in the same way her legs do around her waist.

“You’re so perfect,” Chloe says quietly, genuinely. There is something of an apologetic look on Beca’s face, mostly because of her prior rambling, but Chloe’s gentle giggle wipes it away. Her gaze drifts toward Chloe’s lips, parted and inviting, before her head ducks to capture them softly with her own.

“We’re so gross, huh?” Beca says with a lopsided grin as she finally pulls away, though her limbs remain wrapped around Chloe, and Chloe keeps holding on just as tightly.

“So gross,” Chloe teases, tipping her head back to push another chaste kiss to Beca’s lips. “They really are perfect, Bec.” She glances over her shoulder to stare dreamily at the flowers, and Beca takes note of the genuine smile settled onto her lips, the way those dazzling eyes stare so intimately into her own. “Really. I love them.”

*

_Sunflowers are a symbol of happiness and optimism. They represent longevity, love, and loyalty._

Beca will learn the meaning later, once she floats back down from the cloud that is everything her girlfriend symbolizes, everything she makes her feel. She will realize that they really are very fitting for Chloe Beale, for more than just the reasons Beca stated. Very fitting, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Isadorable! I hope you enjoy your birthday gift!
> 
> (Hi, [this is me](http://chloebeale.tumblr.com)!)


End file.
